The present invention relates to hydrolyzed cereals containing fruit or honey and to processes and apparatus for preparation of the same.
The manufacture of hydrolyzed cereals has been known for a long time.
European Patent Application Publication No. 0 258 486 EP 258486 describes, in particular, a process for preparing hydrolyzed cereals with added fruits, in which 20 to 25% of enzymatically hydrolyzed cereals are first prepared and then mixed with oatmeal, with water and with at least 50% fruit. The mixture is then heated, it is degassed and it is subjected to a post-heating stage, before packaging it in glass containers which are pasteurized.
The dry matter content of the fruits is very low. It is in general of the order of 10 to 15%. This poses problems in the preparation of hydrolyzed cereals with added fruits since it increases the duration and the cost of drying and, furthermore, this impairs the quality of the product.
Honey often contains many spores. This poses problems during the preparation of hydrolyzed cereals with added honey, because if the honey is added just before the sterilization stage, the increase in the bacterial load through germination of the spores during the sterilization stage is not prevented.